Bama in the Big Leagues: Calendar Turns to August

As the trade deadline approaches, teams across Major League Baseball look ahead to their final 60 games of the regular season.

For players like Tommy Hunter, Jimmy Nelson, Josh Rutledge and David Robertson, their contributions over the final two months of the season could make a difference in whether their teams make the playoffs.

After this weekend, the New York Yankees lead the American League East by half a game over the Boston Red Sox and three and a half games over the Tampa Bay Rays. In the National League, the recent surge by the Chicago Cubs has catapulted them into a two and a half game cushion over the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central.